Peter has explained what has happened and what the Lord requires of those who would embrace Him.

Chapter two verses forty-one through forty-seven: “Then they who GLADLY HEARD HIS WORD were baptized.” Note that they did not complain that “This is not what I was always taught,” or “That’s not what my denomination believes.” These people were glad to hear God’s truth spoken by His messenger. Note that they gladly heard HIS (Peter’s) words. God uses men to teach and preach His Word. Those who gladly hear and believe what His men teach and preach will embrace Him and become His obedient servants. Those who cling to the theology of their past will not. Note it: God’s way is not the “old time religion” to which so many people cling. See “Give Me That Old Time Religion.” Those who reject God’s New Wine refuse to become new wineskins. They refuse to allow God to kill the old man and to create His new man in its stead. They refuse to come out of the old wineskin/old man religious organizations in which they have lived. God is calling us to spiritually “Come up hither” to where He abides. See “Come Up Hither.” Like the Laodiceans of Revelation 3:14-20, they believe that they have already arrived at His side and are walking with Him. Next stop–heaven. If God can be believed, these unwitting souls are wrong on both counts. Verse 41 also tells us that before the 3000 new converts were sent back to their distant homes they were all baptized. Where they were baptized, when and by whom we are not told.

In verses 42,46,47 we find that the people “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine”–they listened to, believed and obeyed what the apostles told them, not what they had “always been taught.” The apostles taught them out of the Old Testament (the New Testament did not exist at that time). When “the Scriptures” are mentioned in the New Testament they always refer to the Old Testament. When Paul noted that the men of Berea “searched the Scriptures daily to see if what he was telling them was true” (Acts 17:11), the Scriptures he referred to were the Tora (Law) and the writings of the prophets which, Jesus said, He did not come to destroy (Mat. 5:17). As the Prophet Isaiah prophesied, Jesus would come to “magnify the Law and make it honorable (again)” (Isa. 42:21). Unfortunately, the Institutional Church has nailed it to the cross and made it dishonorable.

The new converts CONTINUED listening to the apostles and having fellowship with each other, going from house to house “breaking bread,” which means to have a meal, not to have communion. Note that they did this daily (vs 46). During the festivities there was much praying and praising of God as they joined each other in a “singleness of heart” (mind). THEY DID NOT SEPARATE INTO GROUPS (DENOMINATIONS) WHICH GOD CONDEMNS (1 Cor. 1:10). See Denominations. They also had good relations with those in the general population–temporarily. Not long after the Day of Pentecost Christians were run out of Jerusalem by those same people. Recall that Jesus was hailed as “He who comes in the name of the Lord” as he rode into Jerusalem. Later those same “hailers” demanded that He be crucified. Recall that the people of Egypt gladly gave the Israelites various treasures as they were preparing to leave, then watched as their army set out to destroy them. Pilate could find no reason to kill Jesus, Whom he described as a “just person.” Nevertheless, he ordered him put to death. When it comes to spiritual things, Jesus warned that, in my words, he who smiles at you the broadest might bury his knife in you the deepest. He warned that, in the latter days children would turn on their parents in order to gain favor with the authorities. One’s family, He warned, would be one’s worst enemy. But for a short time the new converts had good relations with the people of Jerusalem. L.J.